I've decided to bite the bullet and go for some certificates, making eCPPT as my first. I know there isn't a 'right' answer for this, but I'd love to know people's opinions on which model is better, the prepaid 30 hours vs the 30 days unlimited.

Each have their obvious pros and cons, but what I'd really like to know is how much time does the typical student spend in the labs? Knowing this from you wonderful people that have completed the exam can change a viewpoint from "oh ill spread things out" to "crap I'm going to have to spend so much time in there 30 hours will never be enough - I better get the days and cram as much as I can".

I'd go hourly. I think you'll go through what's available with plenty of time to spare. They're regularly adding new labs, so having some hours left over will let you try out the new exercises that get released later in the future.

I used less than 10 hours to go through all the labs they had at the time I was taking the class. They've added a couple labs since that I keep telling myself I should go back and do. The labs are fun and are a good way to cement what you learn in the slides. There's nothing earth shattering in there though. A lot of it you could set up in a home lab.

I would HIGHLY recommend buying time in the Coliseum (especially if you're planning on taking the certification)! That was a very cool setup that I learned a lot from. My understanding is that there is only a subscription plan for the Coliseum (but I may be wrong). If you can devote an hour or two a day to it, I think a 30 day subscription would be adequate for most people.

it depends on your personal situation!You know "tempus fugit" and if you get home after a long day and you have to force yourself into it.... 30 days can be a short range.30 hours if you enjoy yourself, you know that, let me "just do this little" looking onto your watch and six hours gone...